How to cut many bricks in half very efficiently?

[EllaGnu]

Hello,

I am organising the start of an extension to my property. Although building cavity walls I have to emulate a flemish bond used for the rest of the house. This means cutting near on a thousand bricks in half!

Does anyone know of a method to do this very efficiently? I am thinking of some sort of rig and a angle grinder (4 or 9"). I need to get some sort of production line going. I'd like to use both halves of the bricks too.

Thanks for any help. Simon.

 

[Diyisfun]

Maybe have a look at these.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?sou...0.0.0.6667...........0.Sn726qurbVk&gws_rd=ssl

 

[OwainDIYer]

I'd be surprised if a decent brick merchant can't supply half-bricks, especially if you are needing 1000, even if it's a special order from the works.

An alternative might be to use block walls and brick cladding (slips)

 

[EllaGnu]

I'd be surprised if a decent brick merchant can't supply half-bricks, especially if you are needing 1000, even if it's a special order from the works. An alternative might be to use block walls and brick cladding (slips)

I had to match 4 types of brick, two from Ibstock in Chailey and two from Freshfield at Danehill . They were very hard to source. Due to excessive demand the factories have had to close their books on some bricks and are quoting delivery times of over a year on others. Specials and half bricks were not an option. I was lucky to get the bricks I have!

Glad to know about those hydraulic brick/block splitters. It might be worth buying one and selling it afterwards. On eBay for up to £300. None near me though.

 

[mfarrow]

The outer 1/2" or so of the brick is often the hardest - get below that and you should break the rest cleanly with a lump hammer and chisel.

Also have you considered building the wall solid and framing out with insulation/vapour barrier on the inside to BCO requirements? You'll need more bricks but you can use what you want on the inside and save yourself some mad days toiling.

 

[EllaGnu]

Type of construction is a done deal (planning, struct eng, etc etc). I have two 'heads down' brickies starting on Wednesday. They reckon they are going to finish the block and brick work for my two storey 7.7m x 4.5m extension, including a brick base for 11m x 4.5m oak barn, in three weeks.

We shall see.

 

[loply]

You could probably put a diamond blade in a chop saw of some kind, assuming you only have to cut a shallow line on the facing surface and the rest can be split/cracked open, it would only take a couple of seconds per brick to score them.

Brick dust would probably kill the saw eventually though.

 

[kazuya]

edge of ya trowel
then have the cut on the cavity side

 

[EllaGnu]

edge of ya trowel
then have the cut on the cavity side

For 700 bricks?

 

[jeds]

edge of ya trowel
then have the cut on the cavity side

Exactly. You don't need to cut them that cleanly. Just turn the brick so the header faces out.

 

[kazuya]

yea for 700 bricks, that's only 350 cuts, last facing bricks I used cut with one tap, they don't make em like they used to

 

[EllaGnu]

yea for 700 bricks, that's only 350 cuts, last facing bricks I used cut with one tap, they don't make em like they used to

No, that's 700 bricks, 700 cuts!

I have 22 year old employed to do the cuts. I worry that the trowel method will see him a few fingers short by the end of the first day, and ill not end up with many accurate cuts.

I'm looking at one of these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/belle-minipave-spliter/121448171682

Anyone used one?

 

[TwoTrowels]

A healthy whack with a club hammer will be the quickest easiest way.

 

[loply]

To be fair, if they're the kind of bricks which can be cut with a whack from a trowel or a brick hammer, then that will surely be the best way.

All depends whether it works or not on the kind of bricks you've got. Some do exactly as you'd hope, others just don't.

 

[Agile]

And other like London stocks can end up in a pile of pieces!